


Beyond the Flames

by FallingInAForest



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: And he burns down the house, Brooke and Michael bond, But that doesnt happen, Chloe and Jeremy bond, Dustin Kropp is kinda important, F/F, F/M, Fire, Halloween, Jake just wanted a nice party, Lots of hinted relationships, M/M, Madeline is the drunk girl singing confirmed, Madeline pukes in a vase, Multi, Nothing is really official, rich is totally bi, rich sets a fire
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-07
Updated: 2018-01-17
Packaged: 2019-03-01 20:49:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13302924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallingInAForest/pseuds/FallingInAForest
Summary: Jake throws a Halloween party, just like in the musical, except this time, Jeremy drinks a little bit more than before, so his squip shuts off a little earlier, so things change when Chloe and him sneak upstairs. Brooke hears the rumor that her best friend and boyfriend snuck off together, but she doesn't go to check it out. Instead, she goes to the bathroom to cry, or tries to- but someone is already in there, and it sounds like they're crying, so she stays to make sure they're okay. Rich triggers his squip a little early, and sets the house on fire while most of them are still there.How in the hell will they escape this parties end?





	1. Who's Ready For My Halloween Party?

**Author's Note:**

> Hello hello! Time for my first Be More Chill fix, starting off in the point of view of... Jake. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy! :)

  
Jake's POV  
  
Tonight was a moment of truth for Jake Dillinger, as he was throwing one of the biggest parties of the year for these high schoolers: the Halloween Party.  
  
He still had a lot to set up for the party when he heard the doorbell ring. But it wasn't time yet, so why would guests be coming early?  
  
When he reached the door, however, he saw the one and only Christine Canigula. She smiled at him when he opened the door, and he invited her in.  
  
"Need a hand?" Christine asks, stepping in to view the area, most likely noting what was left to do. "I've helped with the scenery of plays so often that I'm kind of good at decorating."  
  
"Thanks," he says in return, sharing her same smile. "Start sticking these on the wall," he says, handing her a package of bat stickers.  
  
"Will do," She says, now looking like a girl on a mission, artistically placing them, as if her grades depending on it.  
  
For a while, Jake watched her, but then realized that he needed all the time he could get to prepare. Just in time, the oven dinged, signaling that his brownies were done. In honor of a true high school party, he had two batches: weed brownies, and double chocolate chip brownies. You could either get high or a taste of heaven.  
  
"What's next?" Christine asks, her eyes sparkling, leaving Jake staring for a little too long, but eventually he smiles and directs her to the next task.  
  
-O-  
  
"Who's ready for my Halloween Party?" Jake exclaims to the crowd standing at his door, Christine no longer there, as high school parties weren't really her thing. Actually, that was a lie. It wasn't because she didn't like parties, it was because she didn't think Jake liked her, so she broke up with him and thought it would be weird to go to his party.  
  
"Everybody gets a red solo cup!" He says as they pour in. "Don't be afraid to fill it up." Jake new he would, as he had just been broken up with. It's not that Christine was his endgame, he knew she wasn't, but it had been nice while it lasted.   
  
And suddenly the nearly quiet house is full of noise, between music blasting, and the sound of people yelling over the it.  
  
Leaving the door propped open so more guests could spill in, Jake left to make his rounds and greet everyone, which was common courtesy for a host to do, especially when the host was Jake, who seemed to know everyone at their school.  
  
"Hey, 'sup Kropp?" Jake asks, greeting Dustin Kropp, a kid from their school that Jake met when he was in the archery club.  
  
"Yo Jakey D, how does it feel to throw one of the biggest parties of the year?" Dustin asks, taking a sip from his red solo cup, although Jake assumes that all he's sipping is soda, since he wasn't much of a drinker. Dustin usually liked to remember the parties he went to, which was respectable.  
  
"I feel on top of the world," Jake says, and claps him on the back, and he saw Jenna write something down in a notebook from a few feet away.  
  
"Hell yeah you do," Kropp says, and Jake nods, before walking towards Jenna Rolan.  
  
"Of course the biggest gossip of the school is here," Jake says with a smile, greeting her. They weren't necessarily friends, but Jake was the guy everybody liked, and Jenna was the girl nobody wanted to get on the bad side of, so it would almost be strange if they didn't communicate.  
  
"I wouldn't miss it for the world," She says. "Everyone makes out with everyone at big parties, and there's gotta be somebody to have all the information..."  
  
"You do you," Jake says with a shrug. "But if anyone tries slipping upstairs other than for the bathroom, tell me."  
  
"I'm your girl," Jenna promises, and slips away, noticing two unlikely people talking, and figures that there's most likely some sort of juicy reason as to why.  
  
After that, Jake goes to greet Rich Goranski, who he's known since freshman year. "Nice Jason mask,"  
  
"I borrowed it from my older brother," Rich says, and holds up a loaf of bread. "You're lucky I couldn't find a machete."  
  
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure someone would be called the cops if you showed up with one," Jake says, amused by the way Rich had casually mentioned bringing a machete to his house.  
  
"JAKE!" Jenna calls, "Madeline threw up in your vase."  
  
"I'll be right there!" He calls. "See ya later, Rich."  
  
"Yeah, Sthee you later," Rich says, lisping the s in see. When he realizes that he did so, his eyes go wide, and Jake can tell that something's wrong, because he hasn't had a lisp since freshman year, but Jenna calls his name again, and he leaves.  
  
"Oh God, that's disgusting," He says in reply to the puke-filled vase. Dammit, Madeline. Using his shirt to cover his nose, he walked it over to the sink and flipped it upside down, water running. Then after a few minutes, he flipped it right side up and filled it with water, dumped it, and continued with that process for a while.  
  
When that was done with, he grabbed a paper towel and dried the inside with a sigh. Why is it cool to throw parties again? If Jake was being honest with himself, they were almost too much work for what they were worth.  
  
After that, Jake made his way over to Jeremy, Brooke, and Chloe.  
  
"Hello ladies," he greets. "And Jeremy."  
  
"Hey Jake," Brooke says, but Chloe ignores him, since they haven't been on good terms since they broke up. Sure, they play nice at school, but afterwards they usually don't talk.  
  
"Yeah, hey Jake," Jeremy greets with a shrug, almost as if he was actively trying to be percieved as cool.  
  
"Brooke, can you get me a drink?" Chloe asks, and Jake uses that as his way out of the conversation.  
  
He goes to talk to Dustin once more, but Jake notices that he's busy locking lips with someone he can't quite make out. So he goes to get a drink for himself, grabbing a red solo cup and filling it up when he hears Jenna Rolan's voice.  
  
"Jake you are not going to believe what I saw," She says, as if whatever information she has is gold.  
  
"What?" He asks, taking a sip of the alcohol he had scored for the party.  
  
"Madeline said that she saw Chloe and Jeremy sneak upstairs... for some alone time," Jenna says with a shrug and a smile. "I just thought you should know."  
  
"Oh, I am going to kill them," Jake says, squeezing his cup a little too hard, causing some beer to spill on the carpet, and began marching upstairs. 


	2. Do You Wanna Hang?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe leads Jeremy up the stairs for a wild time, but things go differently than expected. She did not expect Jeremy to decline, and she did not expect her to open up to him. Afterwards, Jeremy gets into a little argument with his ex best friend, Michael.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ready for another chapter? 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> By the way, I am changing a slight detail in chapter one, explaining the real reason Christine left before the party, so if you'd like to know, please reread just that little part. If you don't care either way, then you're free to do whatever.

Jeremy POV

 

  “I'm supposed to get you… uhm Brooke has a surprise,” Chloe says to Jeremy, and he can't help but to notice an odd tone to her voice. Wait, hadn't Chloe just sent Brooke off to get her a drink?

 

“Oh what kind of surprise?” Jeremy asks, taking another sip of his own drink. He didn't drink much usually, but it's a party, so he might as well take advantage of the alcohol. 

 

“The kind of where you don't ask questions and follow me upstairs,”  Chloe says, grabbing his hand, and guiding him up the stairs, but something about this little action seems wrong, but Jeremy can't quite place his finger on what. 

 

“So uhm… where's Brooke?” Jeremy asks when they enter a room he had never seen before. It was a bedroom, neat too. Jeremy couldn't put his finger on whether it belonged to particularly neat parents, or if it was simply a guest room. 

 

“You are just too freaking adorable… Brooke's not coming.” Chloe says, walking towards Jeremy, too close even, and then all of a sudden her hands start moving around his skin. 

 

“She's not? Then why…? Jeremy questions, eyeing her warily. “I have to go,” he says, not wanting to remain any longer, standing up. And then another thought occurs in Jeremy’s brain: he hasn't heard from his squip since he started drinking. And he supposed that's why he saw Michael earlier, but he didn't want to think about Michael right now. 

 

  But Chloe doesn't let Jeremy go. Instead, when he is about to exit the door, she grabs his arm, and pleads, “Wait.”

 

“I don't know why she's so crazy about you. You're not that cute, no offense,” Chloe says with a shrug, as if Jeremy wasn't even her point of interest, letting go of him. 

 

“None taken,” Jeremy says, confused, trying to figure out what message she was trying to convey. One moment she was advancing upon him, and the next acting as though he is the least impressive specimen on Earth. But she wanted him to stay. 

 

“You know, she's not that innocent. That whole wounded puppy routine. She acts so helpless so they want to protect her. I mean, not that I care…”  Chloe rambles, pacing around the room as she does so. 

 

“You're jealous of Brooke,” Jeremy says, the realization dawning on him. 

 

“I'm not jealous of Brooke,” She argues, staring at Jeremy with wide eyes. 

 

“Oh my God,” He says. “You're jealous… of me. Because you like Brooke.”

 

“Thanks, Einstein,” She says, sitting on the bed next to him. “I thought I could kill, like, three birds with one stone. Sneaking up here with you, getting payback on Jake because he would think we were having sex in his parents bed. Brooke, because dammit, she's with you. And lastly, you, because it'd ruin your relationship with her.”

 

“Wow,” Jeremy says, taking another drink from his red solo cup, slightly slurring some of his words. “I never would've guessed that you had all of thiss sshit on your mind.”

 

“Right, it's so not fair. I'm supposed to be popular and flawless, but I've got a crush on my best friend and am still angry at my ex,” Chloe sighs. “I totally did not sign up for this. While we’re at it, do you have any problems you need to talk about?” 

 

Before Jeremy can reply, a loud bang on the door startles them, causing Chloe to stand up. 

 

“YO, JEREMY HEERE,” A loud voice rings. “JEREMY, YOU BETTER NOT BE HAVING SEX IN MY PARENTS BED. BECAUSE IF YOU WERE, I’D HAVE TO RIP YOUR BALLS OFF.” Jake yells, banging his fist on the door. 

 

“We’re not, I swear,” Jeremy calls back, but the banging on the door doesn't stop. 

 

And Chloe sighs, looking at the door and then to Jeremy, and at the door again. This is what she had wanted, to get Jake to believe they were fucking in his parents bed, so he'd be pissed at Jeremy, and Chloe could come out on top, unscathed. 

 

But instead of letting that happen, she stood up, and walked towards the door, and opened it, almost getting punched by Jake because he had been hitting it so fast, and Jeremy admired her in this moment.  

 

And so Jake stops, looking at Chloe, fully clothed, and Jeremy, fully clothed and formed an o with his mouth. In fact, it even had looked like Chloe was on the verge of tears. “Sorry,” he whispers, taking a breath, looking into Chloe’s eyes. 

 

Jeremy's best guess was that Jake's feelings for Chloe were being rehashed in this moment, which confused Jeremy because he thought Jake was happily  with Christine, and to Jeremy, if you get with Christine there's no better. Or at least Jeremy assumed, as he hasn't actually dated her. 

 

And Jake actually went in for the kiss, but Chloe stopped him, the both of them surprised by the action. 

 

“Do you actually like Jeremy?” Jake asks, assuming that he had figured out the reason as to why Chloe had prevented him from kissing her. 

 

With that, Chloe paused for a moment, as if making the biggest decision of her life, before saying, “Not Jeremy…”

 

And then the real realization hit Jake, just as it had with Jeremy. “Brooke…” And he thought for a moment, before grinning and saying, “Weird. I always pegged you as a cat person,” referring to Brooke’s sexy dog costume. 

 

“You're insufferable,” Chloe says, lightly hitting him, before whispering “Thanks.”

 

“We should all head downstairs where the real party is,” Jake says, and the three agree, but Jeremy stays behind for a minute to think. When he finally starts heading that way, he runs into a familiar face: Michael Mell,  who at least used to be his best friend. 

 

“‘Sup,” Michael says, walking towards him. 

 

“Michael? I didn't know you were invited to this party…” Jeremy says, happy to see him, but confused as well. 

 

“I wasn't. That's why I'm wearing this… clever disguise,” Michael says, “You're speechless. Squip got your tongue?”

 

“No… It's off.” Jeremy says, a quiet tone to his voice. 

 

“That would explain why you're talking to me,” Michael says bitterly. Jeremy had messed up. He had blocked Michael out of his brain, who did that? And to their best friend?

 

“I was thinking about this moment. What I was going to say to you. I had this really pissed off monologue. An epic journey through 12 years of friendship.” Michael continues, but then looks at Jeremy's face, to see him… smiling? “What?”

 

“Nothing. It's just really great to see you,man,” Jeremy says, trying to forget about how he ditched Michael before when he had been so excited for Jeremy. 

 

“Well it won't be. When you hear what I found out.” Michael says, an even more serious tone to his voice, which unsettled Jeremy greatly. The Michael he knew wasn't serious often at all. Maybe that meant Michael had already moved on from Jeremy. 

 

“Found out?” Jeremy repeats, confused. 

 

“About…” Michael says, and by the way he says it, Jeremy can tell what he's implying: the squip. 

 

“How? There's nothing on the internet about it,” He asks, confused. 

 

“Which is weird, right? I mean, what's not on the Internet? So I started asking around until finally this guy I play Warcraft with went from a straight D student to a freshman at Harvard. Do you know where he is now?” Michael begins, really having done his research. Why did he care so much? To Jeremy, this just made his suspicions that Michael was jealous form. 

 

“Really happy and successful?” He asks, thinking of everything his squip had promised him. 

 

“He's in a mental hospital. Totally lost it “ Michael says, really concerned. 

 

“Alright, well, I don't see what that has to do with…” Jeremy begins. Jeremy doesn't belong in a mental hospital, so this didn't affect him, right?

 

“Think man, we're talking an insanely powerful supercomputer. Do you think it's primary function is to get you laid? Who made them? How did they end up in a high school? In New Jersey!” Michael begins, emphasising New Jersey. “Of all possible applications for such a mind blowingly advanced technology. You ever wonder what it's doing inside you?”

 

“And I thought Chloe was jealous…” Jeremy says, angry at himself for ever thinking Michael cared in the first place. 

 

“Well I'm honestly asking,” Michael attempts to state. 

 

“Oh, really? Cause I think you're just pissed that I have one and you don't.” Jeremy says, his tone firm, as if he's made up his mind. 

 

“Come on…” Michael says, as if that was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard.

 

“Okay, maybe I got lucky, alright. Is that so weird?” Jeremy begins, his anger being fueled by sadness. “I mean with my history, I would say that the universe owed me more. And look, I don't know about your friends brothers whatever, but if you're telling me his squip made him crazy-”

 

“His squip didn't make him crazy,” Michael interrupts, anger in his voice as well. 

 

“Alright, well there you go,” 

 

“He went crazy trying to get it out!” Michael yells, and Jeremy realizes his error. It wasn't anger, but grief. 

 

“Well then I've got nothing to worry about. Why would I want that? Come on, move it,” Jeremy says, impatiently. 

 

“Or you'll what?” Michael asks, not understanding why Jeremy wouldn't take his damn advice. 

  
“Get out of my way,  _ loser, _ ”  Jeremy says. Honestly, it spills out, but once he says it, his eyes widen, and so do Michael's. But he doesn't apologize, even if he knows he made a mistake. And Michael doesn't say anything else. Instead, he moves out of the way, and Jeremy leaves to go find Chloe and Jake. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't sure where I wanted to fit in his right with Michael, and in the end I decided to put it where it is in the actual musical. I had hoped to put in their first fight as well, but I figured that it wouldn't fit with the timeline of this story really. 
> 
> Thank you to anyone who has left feedback! I really appreciate it!!


	3. The Gloomy Bathroom Buddies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael sulks his way to the bathroom after his best friend, Jeremy Heere, ditched him in a terrible way at the biggest party of the fall. 
> 
> Meanwhile Brooke also finds her way to the bathroom, after hearing a devastating rumor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoy writing these chapters because they all happen so close together. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this! :)

Michael's POV  
  
"Get out of my way, _loser_ ," Jeremy had said. And how was Michael supposed to respond to that? It was a dirty trick. Not only that, but a really, really shitty one too.  
  
Because now Michael was alone in a party he hadn't even been invited to because his best friend ditched him in the cruelest way possible when he came here in the first place to _help_ him.  
  
Standing still until Jeremy was out of sight, Michael was trying to decide what to do. He could leave, but he didn't trust himself alone in his current state.  
  
So he found his refuge in the bathroom, where he wouldn't have to pretend to be checking his phone or having fun when his buddy kind of left him alone.  
  
Michael looked in the mirror, and had to do a double take. It had been so long since he had seen himself without his player 2 close by. They had always been a team, Jeremy and him. But now, Michael wasn't sure Jeremy would ever come through now that he was too busy being "cool." Now, he was just Michael.  
  
Then a stream of tears bursted out of his eyes, and he knew he would be here for a while, unless he wanted to blame his red eyes on having too many pot brownies.  
  
With the beers he had had, Michael felt a giant headache form, and also felt himself get angry. Angry at Jeremy for leaving him after he got the squip when he had promised not too. For Jeremy calling him a loser. For everything. It really really sucked that he was left here all _alone_ , damn it. 12 years of friendship, and Jeremy abandoned him without a second thought. 

  
And suddenly, Michael couldn't breath, because it all became too much for him to bear. The room started spinning, and his headache magnified. _He shouldn't have come here, he shouldn't have come here._ He felt himself want to crumple to the floor, and fade away from everything, but he didn't let himself do that. Instead, he ran to the sink and blasted the water.  
  
_Splash, splash, splash, splash._  
  
Then the room stopped turning and his breathing became normal once more. The pain was still there, but at least he could breath.  
  
Why the hell did he have to leave him all alone like this?  
  
Suddenly, Michael heard a knock on the door and an impatient voice.  
  
  
Brooke's POV  
  
After fetching a drink for Chloe in the outrageously long line, Brooke attempted to find Chloe and Jeremy, but they were no longer where she left them.  
  
She searched every room on ground level, but they were nowhere insight. She even tried outside, but that's mostly where the hardcore stoners were.  
  
And then she bumped into Madeline, who wanted to talk. However, Madeline was very tipsy at this point, slurring some of her words.  
  
"Hey Brooke," She says. "What'sss up?"  
  
"Hey Madeline," Brooke replies. "Have you seen Chloe and Jeremy?"  
  
To that, Madeline didn't reply, and instead, she giggled, putting her pointer finger to her lips.  
  
Brooke didn't know how to respond to that, so she simply says, "Maybe you've had a few too many..."  
  
"Relax, I'm jussst trying to have fun! Just like everyone elsssse," Madeline says, and Brooke realizes that she reeks of alcohol and vomit.  
  
Sighing, she guided Madeline to Jenna. "Hey Jenna! Can you, like, keep an eye on Madeline? She's super drunk, and I don't want anything bad to happen to her."  
  
As Brooke was explaining this, Madeline scurried off to a table, climbed on top of it, and started scream singing "I Want To Dance With Somebody," as a group of people formed around the table, cheering her on.  
  
Jenna nodded to the request, however, saying, "Yeah, I can keep an eye on her, but it'll have to be from afar. It doesn't look like she wants to stay in one place."  
  
To that, Brooke smiles, "Thanks girl!" And then she thought for a moment. "Do you know where Chloe and Jeremy are?"  
  
Instantly, Jenna's face fell, and she says, "Do you really want me to tell you?"  
  
Supposedly Brooke isn't very observant, as she doesn't notice Jenna's change of expression, or the wariness to her voice when asking so. So Brooke nods, and says, "Yeah, spit it out, spit it out!"  
  
Then it's Jenna's turn to sigh. Brooke was one of the people that Jenna genuinely liked, because she didn't have much of a bitchy personality, unlike Chloe. Although, Chloe’s bitchy attitude was also what made it easier for Jenna and Chloe to talk to each other, about gossip, of course.  
  
"Chloe and Jeremy snuck upstairs," Jenna says, vaguely enough to where if you don't read into things, you could miss the implications. And of course, Brooke wasn't much of a reader.  
  
"Oh, okay. Thanks," Brooke says, and turns to head upstairs as well, but when she does so, Jenna grabs her arm.  
  
"I mean they went up there to have sex, Brooke," Jenna says, and all at once the secret is out, and Brooke's heart drops.  
  
"I have to go," Brooke whispers, and Jenna let's go, but clearly doesn't want Brooke to leave. In the end, Brooke does leave, and since Jenna is now obligated to watch Madeline, she couldn't chase after her to comfort her.  
  
So she heads to the bathroom, drink in hand, and when she attempts to turn the knob, she finds that it's locked. But she has nowhere else to go, so she bangs on the door.  
  
"Hello, some of us have to pee," she says, almost in an angry tone, which surprises her because she didn't think she could get angry like this. She usually just gets undeniably sad when it comes to bad situations. Not saying that she wasn't sad as well, as tears already started forming, and some were even falling from her eyes already.  
  
"I'm on my period," a voice calls back, but Brooke notices that the words were said between quiet sobs, and all of a sudden, she recognizes the voice as well.  
  
"Michael?"  
  
A pause.  
  
"Yeah?" He says quietly, to where Brooke can barely hear it over the sound of the music in the back.  
  
"You're not really peeing, are you?" Brooke asks.  
  
Another pause.  
  
"No, I'm not."  
  
"Let me in," Brooke says, and then she waits for him to open the door. As she concluded, his eyes were red from crying, and she looked at his sleeve, noticing that his tears hadn't dried off, instead, he had simply wiped them off before he opened the door. Maybe Brooke was observant after all.  
  
When Brooke entered, she closed the door behind her, making sure Michael knew that she wanted him to stay as well. Then she sat down on the ground against the door, and Michael sat sideways with his back against the wall, scrunched up between it and the cabinets.  
  
At first, they sat in silence, both quietly crying, and Brooke occasionally taking a sip of the beer, but after a while, Michael prompted a conversation, "So, what are you in for?" In the same way how characters in prison on TV ask their cellmate why they were imprisoned.  
  
"My best friend and my boyfriend went to have sex upstairs," Brooke says bitterly, which wasn't her usual tone, as most people would usually categorize her as the popular ditzy blonde.  
  
"Jeremy?" Michael asks, in a way that seemed like even forming the letters of Jeremy's name in his mouth was a punch to the gut.  
  
"Yeah, Jeremy," Brooke confirms, and Michael musters out a gloomy laugh.  
  
"Funny, because he's why I'm in here too," Michael admits, shaking his head in disbelief that Jeremy had screwed this many people over, and was apparently screwing someone, at the party.  
  
"What'd he do to you?" Brooke wonders aloud, not knowing what Jeremy could have done to him.  
  
"He ditched me and called me a loser," Michael says. "He's my best friend, and ever since he decided to be 'cool' he's been ignoring me and ditching me, and then today I come here just for him, and he calls me a loser."  
  
"Woah," Brooke says after listening to the whole thing, and then holds her cup out to him. "Need a drink?"  
  
To that, Michael takes it, and gives Brooke a weak smile, which she returns.  
  
"If it'll make you feel any better," Brooke begins, as she decides to let Michael in on a little secret. "Want to know something that makes my whole thing a little worse?"  
  
"Might as well," Michael says, and takes a swig.  
  
"I have a crush on my best friend," she admits, looking up at the ceiling of the bathroom.  
  
A pause.  
  
"Me too."   
  
And so the two stayed there, passing the red solo cup back and forth until it was empty, sitting in a mutual silence.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Please, if you would, leave feedback! I love hearing things that I can improve upon, and I love hearing things you particularly enjoyed! Hope to hear from you! :)
> 
> By the order of the summary, it looks like y'all know what's going down next chapter...


	4. Rich Set A Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rich just wanted to go to a fun Halloween party, but things get fucked up pretty fast and he finds himself setting a fire upstairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> Please enjoy! :)

Rich's POV  
  
"Yeah, see you later," Rich had tried to say to Jake, but it didn't come out quite right. Instead, his lisp had come out, and see sounded more like sthee. Jake had noticed as well, Rich knew that by the look he had given him.  
  
The truth was, Rich had pissed off his Squip, and that's why suddenly moments of uncoolness were slipping into his life. Rich found out how to turn off the Squip. Not that he was going to necessarily, but that he knew how to. And that made him a danger to the Squip.  
  
"Hey, Rich?" Dustin asks, cutting into Rich's thought process, taking a sip of his drink, which was not in fact alcohol, but sprite. Dustin wasn't a drinker. Usually, Rich would be, but with his squip in charge he couldn't even think about getting to the alcohol without being shocked.  
  
"W-what?" Rich asks, snapping back into reality, wondering when Dustin had approached him to begin with.  
  
"Are you okay? You totally spaced out there," Dustin says, concerned.  
  
"I'm fine, I prom-" Rich begins to say, but doesn't want to let his lisp show anymore, afraid that it'll push everyone away from him, and he'd be back to freshmen year, where he didn't have friends. Not like he did now, anyway. Nobody had noticed him. "I mean I'm fine."  
  
"Do you need a drink? I could get you one," Dustin offers, and the proposition alone makes Rich feel electricity build inside of him, ready to shock him with the wrong answer.  
  
"No, I'd rather stay away from the alcohol," he answers, and feels the static ease. He could do this. He could play by the Squip's rules, right? No harm no foul. The Squip was amazing after all. Before Rich pissed it off, his whole life was flipped. Instead of a loser, he had become cool, even teachers thought he was great.  
  
"Good choice," Dustin comments, and Rich can't help but notice slight relief in Dustin's eyes, as if he were pleased with this fact.  
  
"Don't get too excited," Rich warns, butchering the word excited. "Mostht of the time I do drink at parties."  
  
To that, Dustin laughs. "That's cool. I mean, I'm like one of the only teenagers who don't at these parties, so if anything I should be the one being judged."  
  
"And somehow you're not considered a loser," Rich says with a laugh, which Dustin returns.  
  
"What can I say? I guess I've got my charm on my side," Dustin says.  
  
"Speaking of, what are you supposed to be anyway, Prince Charming?" Rich asks, looking at Dustin's costume.  
  
"Yours, maybe," Dustin says quietly to Rich.  
  
"Kropp, are you _flirting_ with me?" Rich asks, hoping that the answer was a yes, as Rich had been developing feelings for Dustin recently. The only problem with that was that his Squip was not a fan of his bisexuality.  
  
"If you wanted me to, then definitely," Dustin says, still boldly, but cautiously. It was risky business, really, as none of the two had alcohol in their blood, and could be held accountable for anything they did or said.  
  
"Hell yeah I did," Rich says, and leans in to kiss Dustin, who eagerly returns the gesture. Before he knew it, Rich was leaning against a wall, with Dustin's lips on his.  
  
_Shock_.  
  
But Rich didn't let that stop him from running his hand through Dustin's hair.  
  
_Shock_.  
  
Or from liking it.  
  
SHOCK.  
  
This time it had been a big shock, making him stop in his tracks. He backed up a step and saw Dustin's confused expression. Rich wanted to explain, but he couldn't speak. He tried explaining, but sound didn't escape from his mouth.  
  
Until his voice called, "Warning! Warning! Warning!" In a monotone voice. It was his, but... different. He hadn't wanted to say that. Quickly covering his mouth, he took another step back.  
  
Finally, he found his voice, "I can't explain what'sth happening, but I need you to get everyone to leave. Now."  
  
And thankfully, Dustin didn't try to pry for more information. Maybe it was because he was scared for what was about to happen, or maybe he's just good in dire situations.  
  
_Shock_.  
  
Now Rich was running towards the drinks, "I need Mountain Dew Red."  
  
_Shock_.  
  
"Sorry, we ran out like 5 minutes ago," Jenna says from behind her notebook, not understanding that this was important.  
  
_Shock_.  
  
"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Rich says, trying to think, but his brain was cluttered- most likely the Squip's doing.  
  
_Shock_.  
  
By this point, Rich was gripping his side because the pain was starting to become unbearable. _Think, think, think._  
  
_Shock_.  
  
And then Rich's eyes met a candle that had been lit. Fire. It was a worst case scenario idea, but it was his only option right now. So he ran towards the cabinets, looking for a match. Finally, he found them, and ran upstairs where people most likely weren't.  
  
_Shock_.  
  
The Squip had taken over his life. At first, it seemed cool. His lisp had been gone, people were starting to notice him, and even his home life had gotten better. But now he realized that the Squip was controlling him, and not helping him. It has even made him forget that be was bi, as if that was even an issue.  
  
Especially now that the Squip had given up on Rich, so all it was doing was shocking him and blocking his movements or vocal chords whenever it pleased.  
  
So with a quick flick and a long stare at the flames, Rich dropped the lit match on the ground and before he knew it his whole world was on fire.  
  
To take the Squip out, he'd have to go with it.  
  
Jake's POV  
  
"FIRE!" Someone had screamed, and sent adrenaline into Jake's veins.  
  
"Where?" Jake questioned the person who had done so.  
  
"Upstairs. Where Rich is," the person answered, and with the mention of Rich, Dustin Kropp entered the conversation.  
  
"I think something happened to Rich, he was acting normal and then all of a sudden-" Dustin didn't finish his sentence. "I'll go up there. I need to get him."  
  
Jake shook his head, "No, it's my party. I'm responsible for everything that happens. I'll trust that someone's calling the fire department."  
  
Looking back once to see a phone pressed against Dustin's cheek, Jake ran upstairs, telling everyone he passed to evacuate. When he got upstairs, he was shocked to see how big the fire actually was. And instead of oblivious and in a random room, Rich was in the middle of the flames. He wasn't completely covered in them, but he was on fire.  
  
Covering his mouth to prevent the smoke from entering his lungs, Jake tried to yell Rich's name to get him to leave the flames, but then it dawned on Jake that something was keeping him there, and he wouldn't move on his own.  
  
Jake didn't have time to really think about what he was doing, but he couldn't let anything happen to Rich. He had promised Dustin. So he ran straight towards Rich, staying on the edge of the flames, grabbed him, and full force jumped out the window, crashing through the glass.  
  
When they landed, Jake's legs felt like they were on fire, but after looking he realized that they weren't, but they were In a whole lot of pain. They didn't land and stop, however, because Jake's house was on a small hill. So they rolled down the hill, which worked out in their favor because it put the fire that was clinging to Rich out.  
  
After they slowed to a stop, Jake sat up, but couldn't do much more than that because his legs were in too much pain. For a second, he was coughing, but then as the fresh air became a constant in his lungs he stopped.  
  
"Everything hurtsth," Rich mumbles after a moment, not even attempting to sit up. Between the fire, the glass, and the fall, it wasn't a big surprise that Rich was in a whole world of pain.  
  
"Why did you do it?" Rich asks quietly, his eyes struggling to stay open.  
  
Before Jake could answer, Dustin came over to them, "Holy hell. The ambulance is also on its way, but what the fuck happened?"  
  
Jake took that as an opportunity to check his injuries. He had a big cut on his shoulder from the glass, and a couple on his legs, which he assumed were broken.  
  
"I don't even know myself," Jake admits. "One minute I was looking at Rich and the next I was rolling down a hill."  
  
To that, Dustin nods and looks at Rich with concerned eyes. He then carefully grabbed one of Rich's hands, making sure he wouldn't hurt him. Quietly, Dustin whispers, "What happened?" Again, but this time only to Rich.  
  
After a moment, Jake realizes that Rich had been the boy in the shadows that Dustin had been kissing earlier, a fact that would make Jake smile if it weren't for the situation.  
  
"Is everyone else okay?" Jake asks.  
  
"Yeah, I think so," Dustin says. "There were a couple people who inhaled a lot of smoke, but other than that..."  
  
To that, Jake nodded, relieved.  
  
"I'm sthorry," Rich says in a way that seemed as if every word was a struggle to get out. "You got hurt."  
  
"I got hurt?" Jake says, almost a laugh. "You got hurt, Rich."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So how was it? Please tell me below!
> 
> Also, just so you know, I'm planning on this being 1-2 more chapters, I haven't decided if I want to combine the last two ideas or not!


	5. What's In The Flames

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Dustin Kropp tries his best to stop a whole group of teenagers from panicking while the building they were just in is on fire. On top of things, Jeremy and Chloe can't find Brooke or Michael, and try to go back into the house to get them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to go! 
> 
> I hope y'all have been enjoying this story so far!

Dustin's POV  
  
Just as Rich had asked him, Dustin was clearing out the party, quietly telling people to leave without causing a fuss.  
  
He didn't know why people were supposed to leave, or what was going on with Rich, but he promised himself he wouldn't question it. All he knew for a fact was that something was wrong with Rich.  
  
He could have followed him, no, should have followed him, but the look in Rich's eyes was painful to see. So he would respect Rich by listening to him.  
  
But then Dustin overheard a particularly ear catching line of dialogue.  
  
"FIRE!" Someone had screamed, and Dustin's heart dropped, instantly knowing that it was Rich's doing. But why, damn it. Why?  
  
"Where?" Dustin heard a voice, most likely Jake, ask.  
  
"Upstairs. Where Rich is," the person, who Dustin recognized from Archery practice, had responded, and with that, Dustin had to enter the conversation.  
  
"I think something happened to Rich, he was acting normal and then all of a sudden-" Dustin didn't finish his sentence, not wanting to disrespect Rich by feeding everyone information that he didn't know if it should be released or not. "I'll go up there. I need to get him."  
  
But instead of letting Dustin do so, Jake shook his head, "No, it's my party. I'm responsible for everything that happens. I'll trust that someone's calling the fire department."  
  
And so Dustin was left with no other choice than to pull out and call 911, "Hey, Justin, clear everyone out, okay?" Dustin says to the person, Justin, who had screamed fire in the first place.  
  
With that, Justin nodded, and left to do just that while Dustin fed 911 all of the information of the situation.  
  
Afterwards, he continued to help everyone clear out, and exited the house. He looked around, trying to see if he saw everyone he knew outside. There were a few people he didn't see, and so he stood on a rock and silenced everyone with the help of Jenna, who had seen what he was trying to do, and whistled loudly.  
  
"Okay, everyone. If any of you are unaware of what is happening, there is a fire. Stay calm, and make sure you can find anyone that you know was here. I'm already aware of Jake and Rich's whereabouts, but if there is anyone else that you can not find, call them. If they don't answer and you can't find them, tell me," Dustin announces loudly, surprised that everyone was actually listening. "And whatever you do, stay over here. Do not leave, and do not get closer to the house. This is a safe distance from the fire, and the fire department is on it's way."  
  
After that, Dustin climbed off of the rocks, and turned to Jenna, "Can you keep an eye on the crowd?"  
  
To that, Jenna nodded, apparently doing a lot of babysitting today, and Dustin walks up to Jeremy and Chloe, who seemed to be panicking.  
  
"Hey, Jeremy, hey Chloe, what's wrong?" Dustin asks, concerned.  
  
"I can't find Michael, and I don't know, he could've left, but his phone is dead, so he's not picking up-" Jeremy begins rambling, barely remembering to take a breath.  
  
"Slow down. Take a breath," Dustin says. "You said it yourself, right? You don't know where he is, so he could be home and okay."  
  
"But I know Brooke is still here," Chloe says. "And she's not picking up. I think she left her phone at home, anyway. Someone said they saw Brooke head to the bathroom, and haven't seen her since-"  
  
To that, Dustin nods, "So maybe they are in there. But that doesn't mean they're in danger right now. They could be perfectly fine. Don't panic until you know the situation."  
  
That seems to slightly relax both Chloe and Jeremy, but not fully, for understandable reasons.  
  
"How are you so, like, good at this? And calm?" Chloe asks, looking Dustin in the eyes.  
  
"I'm not," Dustin says. "But someone has to take charge. And..."  
  
"And?" Jeremy questions.  
  
"And Rich and Jake are in there," Dustin says with a sigh. "So that means I've gotta believe that everyone in there will be okay."  
  
To that, Chloe nodded, as if understanding Dustin on a whole new level than before.  
  
And almost on cue, there was a giant crashing sound, and when Dustin focused his eyes, he saw that two people had crashed through. Jake and Rich.  
  
"Holy hell," Dustin says, shaking his head, already running towards the two. Rich was out. So please, make that mean that he's okay.  
  
Michael's POV  
  
Sometime during their gloom session, both Brooke and Michael seemed to have fallen asleep. However, something unknown to him woke Michael up.  
  
When he awoke, he shook Brooke awake as well, and started coughing.  
  
"What's happening?" Brooke asks, confused, and since she had just woken up, unable to quickly process things. "Is that smoke?"  
  
In response, Michael nods and covers his mouth with his shirt. Standing up, he walked over to the door, and carefully touched the knob, seeing if it was hot, "Fuck. Shit, shit..."  
  
"Holy hell, is there a fire?" Brooke asks, noticing as Michael quickly flinched his hand away, as if it were burnt.  
  
Michael nodded again, "I think so. Shit, I don't know what to do."  
  
He then pulled out his phone, but found that it was dead. Shaking his head in disappointment, he asks Brooke, "Do you have your phone on you?"  
  
To that, Brooke shakes her head. "No, I left it at home."  
  
"Dammit," Michael says, apparently staying calm by letting lots of curse words out. "Stay away from the door, cover your mouth, and stay low. I don't know how close the fire is. If i knew that, I could do something, but the doorknob is too damn hot."  
  
Jeremy's POV  
  
"They just..." Jeremy begins saying, shaking his head in disbelief. "They just crashed through the window."  
  
But Chloe was focused on something else entirely, "If shits that bad in there that they have to jump out, then what do you thinks happening to Brooke?"  
  
To that, Jeremy nods, "We have to get her out, right?"  
  
"Exactly," Chloe says, and so they run back into the house.  
  
_**"Jeremy, you have to leave now," The Squip calls, finally functioning again, free from the alcohol.** _  
  
_I can't._  
  
_**"If you go in there, there's a likely chance that you won't come out. And for what? You definitely won't be of any use to Christine if you're dead."**_  
  
_There are more important things right now than Christine._  
  
_**"Fine. Have fun burning to death," the Squip says bitterly, and then leaves Jeremy alone.**_  
  
On the main floor, the fire hadn't reached yet, except for the area underneath where the fire had been set upstairs, because the floor there had started to collapse.  
  
Lucky for them, the bathroom and the stairs were on the opposite side of the second floor than the portion that was now completely on fire.  
  
Both covering their mouths, Jeremy and Chloe raced upstairs to the bathroom. Immediately, they both started sweating, as it was almost unbearable hot.  
  
Chloe reached towards the doorknob, but Jeremy shouted, "Wait!" Before she could touch it.  
  
"What?" Chloe asks, impatiently, as they were standing in a burning building and now was definitely not the time for talking.  
  
"Metal heats up super hot. You'd burn your hand," Jeremy cautions.  
  
Before Chloe can respond, a voice is heard from the inside of the bathroom, "Jeremy?"  
  
"Michael?" Jeremy asks, recognizing the voice immediately.  
  
"Michael? What about Brooke? Is she in there too?" Chloe asks nervously, because if Brooke isn't in there, then where the hell is she?  
  
"Yeah, I'm in here," Brooke replies, and then begins to cough.  
  
"We're here to get you guys out. Michael? Are there any towels in there?" Jeremy asks, anxiously eyeing the Flames that were slowly approaching.  
  
"Towels?" Michael asks, and then there's a moment of silence, as he searches through the drawers. "Yeah, I found some."  
  
"Okay, can you wrap a bunch of them around your hands and open the door? That way you won't get burnt." Jeremy says, trying to remember what to do in these situations. By this point, both Jeremy and Chloe were coughing as well.  
  
Barely a moment later, the door began to open, and Brooke and Michael stood before them.  
  
"Chloe!" Brooke exclaims, hugging her, tears forming in her eyes.  
  
"Brooke! You had me so goddamned worried," Chloe says, returning the hug.  
  
Before Michael and Jeremy had a chance to acknowledge each other, a sound of collapsing floor brought them back into reality.  
  
"Okay, shit, let's hurry the fuck out of here," Michael says, and so they do. Thankfully, the fire hadn't ever reached them, even if the large amounts of smoke did, so they were able to escape mostly unharmed.  
  
When they reached fresh air, the four stood for a moment, catching their breath, and coughing their lungs out, thankful that fresh air could enter their lungs once more.  
  
"Holy hell, thank the Lord you guys are safe," Jenna says, running over to them. "Next time, don't go running into burning buildings. Especially when I was supposed to be keeping an eye on you."  
  
And for some reason, the four laughed, because there is no right reaction to this situation, and they all needed to ease tension.  
  
"You better go explain yourselves to Dustin," Jenna says, shaking her head, amused that they were able to laugh even in a situation like this.  
  
"Hey, Jeremy?" Michael says quietly.  
  
"Yeah?" Jeremy asks in a nonchalant tone before remembering their friendship-ruining arguments from earlier.  
  
"Would you still have gone in even if it had only been me in there?" Michael wonders, in a serious tone.  
  
"Of course I would have, Michael," Jeremy says.  
  
With this, Chloe and Brooke excuse themselves, knowing that they did not want to be caught in the middle of this conversation.  
  
"Jeremy," Michael says. "I don't know what to believe anymore. You're so damn confusing."  
  
"I'm not confusing," Jeremy says, wondering where Michael was going with that.  
  
"Youre not confusing?" Michael asks, giving a bitter laugh. "Jer, you ditch your best friend of 12 years twice, and sneak away to screw your girlfriends best friend, and then run into a burning building to get me and Brooke out. What isn't confusing about that?"  
  
"Wait, Brooke thinks Chloe and I..." Jeremy says, blinking. "That's not what happened. We just talked, I swear."  
  
To that, Michael gives a laugh once more, but this time, it's not bitter, but watery, due to faint tears forming in Michael's eyes, "Great. One less thing Brooke has to beat herself up over. That just leaves me, Jeremy. I don't know what to do with myself. You have to understand that. It's easy for you, because you've got to be cool, right? It's simple. You already have replacement friends, so you delete me from the picture. I get it. But dammit, I don't have anyone else. I never have."  
  
By this point, Michael's tears have escalated, and they're falling from his face.  
  
Hearing this, Jeremy shakes his head in denial. The Squip made it seem simple, like everything was working out, but seeing Michael like this wasn't part of the plan. Jeremy had never wanted to hurt him, "No, I-"  
  
Seeing Jeremy's reaction, Michael gave Jeremy a weak smile. "The worst part is that you don't even realize what you're doing. And I'm not saying that you can't stop being my friend, but you could just tell me that you're ready to move on, I would be okay if you did it that way. I would have understood, Jer. We've been friends so long and I've seen you want a chance like this for so long, I wouldn't even doubt supporting your decision."  
  
"Michael, I-" Jeremy says, realizing how right Michael is in the fact that Michael's never done anything but support him or help him. Michael's always been there for Jeremy. "I don't want to stop being friends with you. Shit, man, I don't think I could ever stand not being your best friend."  
  
With that, Michael gives a weak laugh and wipes his tears on his sleeves, "You're lucky you just saved my ass from a burning building."  
  
And so Jeremy smiles at Michael, glad that they're okay, but not naive to think that they're back to how they used to be. But for now, the both of them seemed happy to live in the moment and be Michael and Jeremy once more.  
  
Chloe's POV  
  
After escaping from Jeremy and Michael's conversation that was bound to explode in some way or another, Chloe and Brooke looked at each other, not knowing what to say.  
  
"So what was it like to have your Prince Charming save you from a burning building?" Chloe says, attempting to make the situation light-hearted, but there was an edge to her voice.  
  
"I don't know, how was my Prince Charming?" Brooke murmurs.  
  
"What?" Chloe asks, confused, before the realization of what Brooke was talking about dawned on her. "Oh my God, Brooke, Jeremy and I did not do anything together, I promise."  
  
And in reply, Brooke's eyes widened as she said, "Oh my God. I'm an idiot."  
  
"No Brooke, you're not an idiot," Chloe reassures.  
  
"This means that I have to break up with Jeremy," Brooke says, totally baffling Chloe.  
  
"What!?" Chloe exclaims, completely shocked by her response. "I just said that Jeremy didn't do anything, So why-"  
  
"I know, I know," Brooke says, cutting Chloe off. "But before I knew that, I figured it wouldn't matter if we stayed together because it would have been an empty relationship, but this way I would feel guilty staying with him."  
  
Chloe tried to process what Brooke was saying, but couldn't come to a clear conclusion, "Wait, does that mean you and Michael...?"  
  
To that, Brooke shakes her head, "No, gosh, definitely not. Michael isn't straight, anyways."  
  
"So then why...?" Chloe asks, even more confused than before.  
  
"Because I have a crush on someone who isn't Jeremy, Chloe," Brooke says, looking her in the eyes.  
  
"Oh," Chloe says, finally understanding what Brooke was going on about. But she couldn't help but to think _who is it this time? Rich? Jake?_ In order to get her mind off of that, she asks. "Wait Michael's not straight?"  
  
"Nope," Brooke says, and a silence falls between them.  
  
After a moment passes, they both add, "Me neither."  
  
And as their eyes meet one another's, they light up, picking up secret signals from the others.  
  
Before another thing can be said between them, the ambulance and the fire truck arrives. The thing about smaller towns in New Jersey was that sometimes they didn't have close by things, which could be very bad in dire situations like a big fire at a huge party. Thankfully, everyone had escaped the building mostly okay, so this time it had ended up okay. The firefighters still do their job, and put out the fire, even though most of the house was unsalvagable by this point.  
  
Chloe watches as the paramedics run towards Jake, Rich, and Dustin, putting Jake and Rich on stretchers and wheeling them away, Dustin following close behind.  
  
She also watches as Dustin tries to talk the paramedics into letting him ride in the ambulance, and even after they obviously say no, he talks and talks until finally, they let him on.  
  
Chloe can't help but wonder how he convinced them to let him ride with Rich, but before she can think too much, Her phone vibrates in her pocket. Pulling it out, she reads a mass text from Dustin, who most likely learned how to do that from Jenna.  
  
"What does it say?" Brooke asks, noticing how everyone seemed to have received a text at once.  
  
"Its from Dustin, explaining that he's riding to the hospital with Rich, and how he'll update everyone on Rich and Jake's conditions," Chloe answers, showing Brooke her phone.  
  
"I hope they'll be okay," Brooke says. "Rich looked like he was in bad shape."  
  
"Yeah, me too," Chloe answers, and everyone is told they can leave, and Chloe can't help but to think how weird it is that all the commotion in the world can happen at once, and then all of a sudden stop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave any feedback below! I'd love to hear any thoughts you guys have surrounding this.
> 
> Also, I'm happy to announce that I will finally be giving my girl Jenna a segment in her POV next chapter, bless.

**Author's Note:**

> And the verdict is...?
> 
> Is this readable? Does the plot interest you?
> 
> Please leave feedback!


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